North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has received five kamikaze-drones and a Geran-25 surveillance drone from the governor of Russia’s Primorsky Region, Oleg Kozhemyako, the local administration has said.
The gifts to the North Korean leader, who was on the sixth and final day of his visit to the country, also included a full set of body armor for assault operations, the press-service of the Primorsky Region revealed on Sunday. The state-of-the-art gear provides protection to the chest, shoulders, throat and groin, while being “much lighter than any known counterparts,” it added.
The gifts were handed to Kim as he and Kozhemyako visited the Far East Street Exhibition on Russky Island in Vladivostok to inspect the hardware being produced in Primorsky Region for the needs of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine.
Also on Sunday, North Korea’s state-run news agency KCNA published photos from Kim’s meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, which took place on the previous day. One of the images captured the North Korean leader sporting the famous Russian ushanka fur hat with ear-covering flaps, which was apparently given to him by Shoigu.
During his trip to Russky Island, Kim also toured the Primorsky Aquarium, which is the largest in Russia, hosting almost 10,000 sea and fresh water creatures belonging to some 500 species.
The North Korean leader and his delegation enjoyed the show at the aquarium. Kim smiled and applauded as he watched beluga whales, bottlenose dolphins, and a fur seal perform, RIA-Novosti reported. He was most impressed by the walrus, which blew air kisses to the audience, the report added.
Another of Kim’s destinations was the Far Eastern Federal University where he inspected the campus and talked to North Korean students. A total of 43 North Koreans are currently studying at the university, according to RIA-Novosti.
The trip to the Russky Island concluded the North Korean leader’s stay in Russia. RIA-Novosti posted footage of him boarding his armored train at one of the stations in Primorsky Region. Kim was seen waving his hand and saluting the Russian officials, who had gathered to bid him farewell.
Kim Jong-un arrived in Russia on Tuesday for his first visit since 2019. He toured the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur Region with Vladimir Putin and held a round of talks with the Russian president. Later, the North Korean leader inspected military and civilian aviation plants.
Kim was shown Russian strategic bombers and fighter jets, including a MiG-31 aircraft armed with the Kinzhal hypersonic missile. There was also a tour of the Marshal Shaposhnikov frigate of Russia’s Pacific Fleet and a visit to the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theater for a performance of ‘Sleeping Beauty’ on the schedule for Saturday.